Still Crazy

I'm 60 years old, a guitarist, (lead/rhythm), and over the last forty years, I've been in four bands, it's all there, the fights, the foul-ups, the rotten food, the worse accommodation, always travelling, little or no money, and every one was drunk or high. But, the clubs, the fans, and the music, made it all worth it! Just like Strange Fruit! I'm too damn old for it now, and the arthritis in the hands and hips mean no more rocking, but for the length of that video, it all came back, and it was all there! The birds, the brawls, and the booze! And I was young again! It's just like Billy Connolly's voice over, God likes that 70's stuff! Rock On Forever!

Brian Gibson's Still Crazy was not a film on my list. However, one afternoon I was channel surfing on a satellite dish and came across this AMAZING film about a 1970's rock & roll band who comes back together twenty years after their disasterous final concert. For keyboard player Tony (Stephen Rea), guitar player/backup singer Les (Jimmy Nail), lead singer Ray (Bill Nighy), drummer Beano (Timothy Spall), "road dog" Hughie (Billy Connolly), and manager Karen (Juliet Aubrey), a second chance is a God send. Unfortunately, they are lacking two players, Keith, who died of a drug overdose two years before the Strange Fruit's final concert, and Brian, his brother, a stunning guitar player who was the genious and the glue of the band. Still Crazy is a fabulous mixture of British comedy, damn fine music, and superb performances, especially by Bill Nighy as the pathetically egotistical Ray Simms. Helena Bergstrom is also hilarious as Ray's over-protective wife, Astrid. Watch especially for a couple of poignant scenes between Juliet Aubrey and Bruce Robinson, who appears in a touching cameo. Out of 10 stars, I give this hilarious and sweet rock & roll resurrection film a good, solid 10!

Still Crazy was certainly influenced by This Is Spinal Tap, and elements from that classic can be found all over the place, but the two should not be compared. You won't find the sharp satire of Spinal Tap in this movie; nor will you find the scope and heart of Almost Famous. Still Crazy is a small, sweet comedy in the vein of Brassed Off, The Commitments and The Full Monty, and it's highly recommended for anybody who enjoyed those movies and has any fondness towards the grandiose stadium rock of the 70's. Still Crazy is funny, fast-paced and heartwarming, and backed with some of the finest actors the UK has to offer, it's a fantastic piece of entertainment and one that's fun returning to over and over again. It's a bit slow in its first half, but by the ending it's irresistibly fun, thanks to the wonderful characters (every member of the band was well-developed as a believable and likable character) and the contagious soundtrack. A great, light-weight movie for fans of true rock n' roll.

I'm not sure why this film didn't get more of a release in the U.S. It's a lot easier to understand and faster paced than THE FULL MONTY and it's a lot more accessible than TRAINSPOTTING. In this era of sleeper hit indies from The United Kingdom, it certainly seems like there could have been room in the American cinematic marketplace for this charming film. The plot revolves around a 60's/70's band called "Strange Fruit" whose members decide to reunite in the late 90's. Their lives are in shambles and they all seem to miss rock stardom, so the reunion seems natural, but before they know it, they are reminded why the band broke up in the first place. The squabbling bandmates are played by a great group of actors. Their attempts to recapture their old magic are at first pathetic (and hilarious), but by the end of the second act, you'll be rooting for these guys. Billy Connolly plays the band's 'road dog' and he lights up the screen whenever he's on it. The direction (Brian Gibson directed WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT and THE JOSEPHINE BAKER STORY) and script are first rate as well.

What happens to washed up rock-n-roll stars in the late 1990's? They launch a comeback / reunion tour. At least, that's what the members of Strange Fruit, a (fictional) 70's stadium rock group do.

Tony (Stephen Rea) has the concession on condom vending machines when he runs into the son of the promoter of a famous music festival. It was at that festival in the 70's that Strange Fruit broke up. The 70's are "retro" and the time is right to wide that wave. He sets off in search of the other members of the band.

Part of what broke up the band was the death and replacement of Keith, the lead singer and brilliant song writer. The band was known for its excessive lifestyle and now they are all back amongst the working class from which they came. Beano, the drummer, played by Timothy Spall (who was brilliant in Secrets and Lies) is a layabout, the bass player is a roofer, and their lead singer is still a rocker. While he owns a huge mansion he has been forced to sell it, as his fortune has not lasted. Brian, the lead guitarist, is dead, so a young guitarist is hired to replace him.

Somewhat reluctantly the band agree to give the reunion a try. Abandoning their day jobs, they begin to rehearse, and their manager approaches their label about reissuing their albums. But he wants them to start touring again first. And so they hit the club circuit around Europe. The club scene is not kind to these overweight, dated, old rockers.

It is on tour that the film really starts to develop. All of the old conflicts rearise, with the figures of Keith and Brian hovering throughout. They all hang together because they are all in search of a second chance for the greatness that eluded them earlier. And they rediscover some of the interpersonal chemistry that made playing together so enjoyable.

Still Crazy starts as Spinal Tap II but gradually becomes a more dramatically focused film, following the relationships of the band members. While it is still a very funny movie, it is the evolving characters, struggling to deal with the deaths of Brian and Keith and with their own personal demons, that make the film work.